A FACTORY worker was left with serious leg injuries after being struck by a 300kg foam bale at an East Lancashire flooring firm, a court heard.

Investigators from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the Interfloor employee was struck in the back and fell face down on a concrete floor at the company’s plant in Broadway, Haslingden, Preston Crown Court was told.

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The 59-year-old, from Todmorden, broke his leg in two places and damaged his knee after the incident in December 2013 and was off work for several months.

Bosses have now been fined £40,000 with £7,233 costs by Judge Pamela Badley. No compensation was ordered as a civil claim is understood to have been lodged by the victim.

The court heard it was common practice to stack foam bales four levels high and they would be marked up, to ensure a consistent mix, as part of the production process.

The victim was struck by a bale from the third level and had to spend a week in hospital.

Several previous incidents had been reported involving bales falling in the area, which was also used as a shortcut to the staff canteen, and a risk assessment had acknowledged the danger.

HSE inspector Stuart Kitchingman said: “A worker was very badly injured and off work for several months as a result of the incident but the impact of being struck by a 300kg bale could easily have been fatal.

“The company knew there was a risk of workers being injured by falling bales but it did nothing to stop this from happening.

“It was only after the incident that it put in place simple measures to prevent access to the storage area.”

Gary McEwan, Interfloor’s human resources director, said: “We regret that an employee was injured.

“Interfloor has accepted responsibility for the incident and initiated immediate steps to prevent recurrence and has fully co-operated with the Health and Safety Executive in their investigations.

“Interfloor is proud of its reputation as an excellent employer and the investment it has made in health and safety, environmental improvements and recruitment in the local area. The health and safety of our workers remains the top priority of the company.”